Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Recipe (VIDEO)
We call this the Christmas salad but it’s great any time of year. Broccoli Cauliflower Salad has only 4 ingredients with an easy honey lemon dressing that coats every delicious bite. It comes together quickly and is perfect for parties or dinner time. Make this and you will get recipe requests.
Most people think of Cauliflower as an ingredient that needs to be cooked into Cauliflower Soup or Roasted Cauliflower, but raw cauliflower is a real treat. It has the perfect taste and crunchy texture for salad.
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We love fresh broccoli salads like our Broccoli Apple Salad and Broccoli Grape Salad. If you are a fan of crisp fresh broccoli and cauliflower, you will make this creamy salad again and again. Broccoli and Cauliflower never tasted so good!
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Video
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Good recipes travel fast and this creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad recipe is one of them! One of my readers, Margarita Storchevoy, wrote in with this Christmas salad recipe and said it was one of her favorite recipes for the holidays. That same day we bought the ingredients and recreated it; love at first bite! Make this and you will get recipe requests.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad Ingredients
- Broccoli – use a medium head, cut into small florets
- Cauliflower – 1 medium head, chopped into small florets
- Dried Cranberries – adds a sweet-tanginess to the salad
- Pine Nuts or Sliced Almonds – toast the nuts on a dry skillet until golden for a more intense nutty flavor and crunchier texture.
Shortcut: I love my food chopper for chopping broccoli and cauliflower. It makes this job way easier and faster.
How to Select Cauliflower
- Look for tightly packed heads of white cauliflower. The leaves should be green and fresh-looking.
- Avoid cauliflower heads with brown specks or wilted leaves which are a sign of aging.
Creamy Honey-Lemon Dressing
This dressing doesn’t get any easier and we love that it uses honey to sweeten and balance the tanginess of the dressing.
- Mayonnaise – use real mayo for the best flavor
- Lemon juice – be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice (not from concentrate)
- Honey – we use 2 Tablespoons but you can add it to taste. Liquid honey will incorporate easier into the dressing.
Once You have all of your ingredients prepped and you’re ready to serve the salad, just add the dressing to taste and toss to combine then enjoy. It’s so easy!
Common Questions
Nuts add a great crunch, but you can easily substitute them for sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds, and toast them for deeper flavor.
Craisins or dried cranberries can easily be substituted with raisins. You can also use fresh grapes if you prefer, but double the amount.
We do not recommend using frozen broccoli or frozen cauliflower for this salad since the crunch won’t be present and it won’t keep as well once broccoli is thawed. Using frozen is also likely to water down the dressing in the salad.
Yes, this salad is grain-free and naturally gluten-free.
Make Ahead
Besides the amazing flavor, what I love most about this salad is the “make-ahead” factor. This salad is just as good (if not better) after it’s been in the fridge melding with the dressing overnight.
Storing Leftovers: cover and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, just be sure to stir and add more dressing to taste if needed.
Serve With
We love this creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad year-round for potlucks and BBQ’s. It pairs well with these main courses and sides:
- Baked Chicken Legs
- Juicy Burger Recipe
- Philly Cheesesteak
- Roasted Baby Red Potatoes
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Recipe (VIDEO)
This creamy broccoli cauliflower salad always gets glowing reviews. Cauliflower salad is crisp, crunchy, chewy and every bite is coated in a delicious honey-lemon dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 medium broccoli head
- 1 medium cauliflower head
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries, craisins
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds or pine nuts, toasted on a dry skillet until golden
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 small lemon
- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
Instructions
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Peel the broccoli stem and chop off the dry base. Chop broccoli into small florets and dice the stem if using.
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Remove and discard the cauliflower core and leaves and dice the rest into bite-sized pieces.
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Toast 1/2 cup pine nuts or almonds on a dry skillet over med/high heat, tossing frequently until fragrant and golden, then add to the salad bowl along with 3/4 cup craisins.
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In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup mayo, 2 Tbsp honey and 2 Tbsp lemon juice. Add dressing to the salad and toss well to combine.
Recipe Notes
*Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference – when you only have 3 ingredients in the dressing, each one really counts.
Natasha Kravchuk
Broccoli Apple Salad Recipe (VIDEO) 
Broccoli Grape Salad (VIDEO) 
Cauliflower Cucumber Salad Recipe 
Italian Pasta Salad Recipe (VIDEO) 
Cauliflower Cucumber and Tomato Salad Recipe 
Broccoli Cheese Soup in Bread Bowls (VIDEO) 
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I’d like to make this for a family get together, but my sister-in-law won’t eat anything with mayonnaise. What would you suggest as a substitute?
PS: I really like your recipes, and have made several and each and every one of them turned out fabulous!
Hi Ronnie, I haven’t personally tried any substitution but I think you could make it work with yogurt, although it will change the flavor profile and you may need a little more honey to offset the added tanginess from the plain yogurt.
BEST cauli/broccoli salad EVER!!! dressing delightful! I had previously made similar with cheese and bacon but this salad so much better and EASIER! Thank You for this recipe and Merry Christmas!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kathy! Merry Christmas!
This was so so easy. Nuts with broccoli and creamy salads in general is the best. I once tried and never went back. I love broccoli. But I’ve never tried dried cranberries, neither raw cauliflower. I’ll check on the combination. And yes, since I love express way, I’m totally sold on the creamy sauce too. Great one. Xx
Sounds good Isa, I hope you love this combination too!
Love the broccoli cauliflower salad. I add bacon. Yum, the guys love it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Sounds yummy! Natasha! What do you think about blanching the broccoli & cauliflower prior to putting the salad together?
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried that but several of my teachers have blanched and enjoyed it. I prefer the fresh crunch. I hope you love this recipe!
I love this broccoli and cauliflower combo salad – so tasty! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Lana, I’m so happy you love the cauliflower salad! Thanks for the wonderful review.
I just made a batch to keep in the fridge for lunch for the week. Thank you!
Sounds perfect, Lauren. Enjoy!
Colorful salads mean they are delicious! And, this is! The dressing is light & super tasty!
Thank you for your good comments and review, Kristyn!
Loved the ease of making this salad and the simple ingredients. Being diabetic I feel like I am always trying to find new creative ways to get my veggies. This was a perfect compliment to my burger. Thank you. This will be made again for sure.
You’re most welcome, Julia. Great to hear that it was a success!
Hi Natasha,
I haven’t made this recipe yet but I’m wondering if I could sub nf yogurt for the mayo without it making a huge difference in the taste? Thank you for your excellent recipes and simple directions!
Hi Robyn, I haven’t personally tried that substitution but I think you could make it work, although it will change the flavor profile and you may need a little more honey to offset the added tanginess from the plain yogurt
Hi Natasha. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am not a big fan of broccoli or cauliflower especially raw but decided to give this recipe a try. OMG!!! This recipe is a perfect combination of ingredients and incredibly delicious. It was a big hit with my family. It deserves more than 5 stars for sure. Thank you very much!
Yay, so glad you made the decision to try it! Thank you for your review, Alla.
I’m planning to make this salad for a family BBQ. Can I add other veggies and maybe even bacon?
Hi Helene, I think you can and that will be a good idea too! Please share with us how it goes if you try that.
I just made this again to go with our burgers tonight. It is so easy to make and so delicious.
That’s a perfect combo! Thanks for your wonderful comments and feedback, Marian.
My husband and I loved this recipe! So delicious and flavorful! This salad is on the remake list now. Such a tasty salad.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Beth!
Delicious dressing! Loved the pinenuts in here. I usually use sunflower seeds but the pinenuts, after toasting, really added a lovely roasted nut flavor! Delicious and perfect for potlucks! On my list for summer activities!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I used some roasted/salted sliced almonds, and I loved the combo of the salty with the sweet of the craisins. Such a fresh and yummy salad!
The perfect balance! I’m so glad you thought so too, Kara! Thank you for sharing your lovely review with me.
Why does the video for making this salad show adding sour cream to the dressing but looking at the ingredients…there is no sour cream!
Hi Brenda, this recipe doesn’t call for sour cream. Are you possibly mistaking the mayonnaise for sour cream?
I posted your video and you do put sour cream, Mayo and squeezed lemon in the dressing, no honey either.
There is no sour cream in the recipe
The only way mine turned out as creamy as it looks in the picture (and tasted as delicious as you made it sound) was if I doubled the dressing recipe. Otherwise there was hardly enough to coat everything. My head of broccoli WAS a bit larger than what was used in the video though.
Thank you for sharing that, Evy! We didn’t double it four ours, but I imagine if more ingredients were used, like the larger broccoli, that could be the case.
I have loved nearly everything I’ve ever tried from Natasha’s Kitchen. Unfortunately, I didn’t have luck with this one. I think for me, it came down to the dressing–just not a huge fan of the mayo, maybe?
Did you possibly change anything in the ingredients or measurements? If you don’t like mayo-based dressings, I would suggest trying one of our other salads without mayo.
I don’t think I changed anything—or if I did, it wasn’t intentional. Maybe I used bottled lemon juice instead of fresh? I can’t totally remember, though! Anyway, maybe I ought to give it another go. Your website is my go-to for recipes!
Do you need to make the dressing ahead of time? I have a similar receipt that calls for more mayo and sugar but I like yours better since it is much less of mayo and honey instead of sugar. With the salad I’m used to making, you have to mix dressing ahead of time so flavors can mingle.
Hi Sandra, you don’t have to make the dressing ahead of time but you can if you choose to.
Hey Natasha broccoli and cauliflower don’t need a brew before?
They do not! We just give them a good rinse and enjoy it fresh
What can you substitute the honey with?
Hi Dorothy, I would add sugar to taste instead of honey.
Hey Natasha and Dorothy, Try maple syrup!
Thanks for the tip!
This is delicious
I bought honey roasted sliced almonds instead for even more flavor! Loved this
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I couldn’t find the nutrition info
Hi Vanessa, we are slowly working through all of our recipes to add nutrition info but it is a time consuming process as they have to be added one at a time. Thank you for being patient!
Hi Natasha,
The broccoli and cauliflower are raw ,no need to blanch them?
Thank you
Hi Dorothy! We like it fresh but our readers have tried it branch “I blanched the broccoli and cauliflower and added bacon… it was still crisp and delicious!! Thank you for the recipe!” I hope this helps!
This is my favorite broccoli salad recipe! It’s so easy and so tasty. I’ve made it with and without cauliflower and I’ve also added red onions and it’s always great because I don’t mess with the excellent simple dressing. Thank you for sharing this revipe
My pleasure, Leonor!! I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Sounds like you found a new favorite!
What can you sub for craisins or cranberries??
Hi Janie, you could use raisins instead of craisins or dried cherries would work as well.
My SIL turned me onto this salad years ago and it always is a healthy winner at gatherings. I add crumbled bacon, slivered carrot, rinsed red beans and small-cubes of sharp cheddar. It is very versatile.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Martin!
people are saying they forgot to add the apples…..I don’t see no where in the recipe that says add apples….what’s up with that
Hi Linda, i think they are referring to our other broccoli salad with apples.
Hi Natasha, I love the Broccoli/Apple salad & would like to try a combo of that one with this one, adding grapes. I hope you don’t mind, but I will let you know how it turns out. I will also be making it with Veganaise, toasted almond slices & pine nuts. I will stick with the honey lemon vegan mayo dressing. Making it for Easter dinner tomorrow! Have a blessed Easter to you and your family!
Wow that sounds amazing!! Let me know how it goes and you have a blessed Easter as well!
Well Natasha, this combo of your 2 salads was a huge hit! Both my Aunt and one of my cousins put some away for this week and I will have enough left over as well! I doubled the amount of broccoli and cauliflower (there were 20 of us for dinner), forgot the apples, but it still made a lot! I have extra dressing too, which I’m sure goes well with any kind of salad. Raves overall! Everyone especially commented on the tasty tangy dressing too! Thanks again for your healthy and delicious recipes.
My pleasure Janet! I’m happy to hear the whole family enjoys this recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
It was good. Maybe not as amazing as expected but I did like the dressing and cranberry/almonds in the salad! Very interesting🖒
This salad is so delicious! Thank you for showing it with almonds as I’m not a huge fan of pine nuts.
Made it today for lunch and can’t wait to have it again tomorrow!
My pleasure Meagan! I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Natasha, thank you for the recipe. My husband hates broccoli and cranberries but he liked the salad very much asking me to make it again. Our small kids liked it too. It is really easy and very tasty. Thank you!
You’re welcome Jitka! I’m happy to hear your whole family loves this recipe. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
This was soooo good and easy! Thank you for the recipe!
It’s five stars-
It’s five stars..not 2
You’re welcome Kim! I’m glad you enjoy it!
Would you share the nutritional information please? I count Net Carbs.
Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you Susan!
Hi Natasha,
Do the broccoli and the cauliflower need to be parboil first or they can be eaten raw?
Hi May, we always eat them raw. We love the crunch that it gives this salad.
I made this wonderful salad and took it fo work for lunch two days straight. It’s awesome and better the second day.
I’m glad to hear that Teresa! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Thank you for the recipe👍,it was sooooo delicious.i love watching your videos too,they’re so informative and interesting and you’re so inspiring.how many days can this salad last? i hope you’ll continue making fabulous salad recipes.
Hi Krish, I haven’t tested the limits on this salad, but leftovers tasted great the next day!
Can you substitute miracle whip for the mayo? I am trying to make it dairy free.
Hi Heidi, if you like the taste of miracle whip, I think it would be a good experiment. It wouldn’t quite have the same flavor profile but I think you could make it work 🙂
What about substituting plain yogurt for the mayo?
Hi Kriste, I haven’t tried that substitution but I think you could make it work, although it will change the flavor profile and you may need a little more honey to offset the added tanginess from the plain yogurt
I typically buy mayo with olive oil in it, can I use that or just stick with what the recipe calls for?
Hi Kim, an olive oil based mayo should still work ok – it has a slightly different flavor profile but I do think it will still work.
Won’t the almonds get soggy? Or should I add just prior to serving? I want to make for my BBQ next week.
Hi Lisa, the almonds won’t get soggy. I’ve never really had almonds get soggy on me – they aren’t as crispy the next day if there are leftovers but they never really get soggy. Toasting them also helps and you can absolutely add them as garnish just before serving if you prefer them very crispy 🙂
Thanks for replying – maybe toasting them does the trick. I will definitely make this salad next week. I love your recipes btw. Keep up the great job.
My pleasure Lisa! Thanks for following 🙂
I blanched the broccoli and cauliflower and added bacon… it was still crisp and delicious!! Thank you for the recipe!
My pleasure Lou Ann! YUM, I’m glad to hear you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Hi Natasha, can this be made one day ahead?
Hi Ruslana, I have made it ahead with good results. I hope you love it! 🙂
I would love to take this for my lunch during the week does it get soggy after a day?
Hi Benita, there aren’t any ingredients in this that would cause it to get soggy. Leftovers of this salad still taste great the following day 🙂
This salad was absolutely delicious! And soooo easy😁 I will admit I added a little crumbled bacon…..
Bacon does make everything better! 😀 I’m happy to hear you love the recipe Robin, thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe! What can I substitute the almonds with? I want to make it for work, but I have coworkers allergic to nuts. Thank you!
Hi Ana, I would suggest toasted pumpkin seeds.
This will be perfect for our summer potlucks! I have it on my must try list! Thanks for the recipe, Natasha!
You’re welcome Michelle! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!
Any idea how many cups of broccoli and cauliflower? I buy these veggies in a bag at Costco.
I did not measure it that way but I would guess it is about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of each.
What would think of replacing mayo with you yogurt? Just curious.
Hi Sharon, I haven’t tried that substitution but I think it would work, although it will change the flavor profile a little bit and you may need a little more honey to offset the added tanginess from the plain yogurt 🙂
Como limpias el brócoli y la coliflor porque las preparas crudas verdad???
Nancy, If I understand correctly, broccoli and cauliflower are washed before cutting them.
Is the broccoli and cauliflower cooked?
Hi Stefany, they are both raw and add a wonderful crisp texture to the salad. I hope you love it! 🙂
Delicious salad loved every bite! Thanks Natasha for this wonderful recipe, I like how simple the ingredients are but the end result is fantastic. Will be bringing it to a church gathering.
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
You’re like the queen of salads, Natasha! You always come up with creative and delicious ways of eating them!
Aww, you’re so sweet Belle! I’m happy you enjoy my salad recipes so much! 🙂
I made this twice cause the 1st time I think I put too much of those cranraisian. Not gonna lie but I didn’t like the taste. I think the broccoli and grape salad beats it 🙂
Hi Olga, I do love the grape one also, but then I do love them both! 🙂
Is this low carb. I am a diabetic.
Thanks
Hi Rachel, it is fairly low carb except for the honey, although honey doesn’t spike your blood sugar the way processed sugars do. I haven’t experimented with artificial sweeteners but that may be a good option. Has anyone else tried with artificial sweeteners? Thanks in advance! 🙂
Looks like the perfect thing I need to make for a pot luck reunion. I’m sure everyone will love this. I have made a similar cauliflower and grape salad with mustard, mayo and sugar dressing.
It really is a delicious salad! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!
Can this salad be made up a day ahead of time or is it best to make it up right before eaten?
Leftovers of the salad still taste great so it would work either way. You can also chop everything the day before and combine with dressing the day you are serving. it will work either way. There isn’t anything in this salad that would wilt if made a day ahead.
Didn’t have enough broccoli and cauliflower so I added a can of drained mandarin oranges and lemon zest. Very good!
Yum! That sounds delcious Sherry! Thanks for sharing!
This was so good i think i ate 1/2 before even serving the family. Just so refreshing & sooooo easy to make. THANK YOU
LOL 😀 You’re welcome Diane! I’m happy to hear you love the recipe so much!
No salt and pepper?
Bea, there is no need for either one in this recipe 😬
How long does this dressing last in the fridge. I am only one person that will eat it. So I need to know after how many days will it keep?
Hi Sue, the dressing will keep very well covered in the refrigerator 3-5 days.
Best creamy salad recipe i have ever found. I tried it this morning and the result was delicious. thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome Amber! Thanks for sharing your incredible review! 🙂
What do you think about substituting mayo with plain Greek yogurt?
Hi Stephanie, I think you could make that work for a healthier dressing but keep in mind the dressing would be more tangy so you might have to add a little more honey to balance it.
Made this salad at home one time and the next day made another one for my moms house and everyone absolutely loved it! Definitely going to make this salad again. Love how it has simple ingredients but tastes so good😋
That’s great Tatyana! Thanks for sharing your amazing review! 😀
I have a similar recipe that has bacon in it, too. Always a family favorite at get togethers!
That’s a great addition Kathleen! Thanks for sharing 🙂
What would happen if you substituted Greek Yogurt?
Hi Wendy, I think that would work for a healthier dressing but the overall salad would have a more tangy flavor so you might have to add a little more honey to balance it.
This salad is also reallly good with real bacon crumbles. Not as healthy, but yummmm.
Everything is better with bacon! Thanks for sharing Karen 🙂
I am allergic to lemon, can I substitute with white vinegar like I do when I make coleslaw dressing?
Hi Rosita, yes that should work fine, but add it to taste and you may need slightly more honey to balance the flavors of the dressing. I hope you love it! 🙂
What a wonderful healthy salad!!! All the ingredients in this that I enjoy!!
It really is! Thanks for sharing Sandra 🙂
Thanks for sharing your recipe. Wondering if blanching the broccoli and cauli could be blanched first or not
bother?
Hi Wendy, I would recommend just serving them raw or you would lose that desirable crunch in the salad 🙂
Do you think you could substitute the honey for something else?
Hi Ann, I think sugar would work fine but I haven’t tested it with any artificial sweeteners to see if it would alter the flavor too much. Since there is not much sweetness in this salad naturally, there should be some sweetness in the dressing to balance it out.
Thank you. I cannot wait to try it. Heading to the store in a few minutes, LOL.
You’re welcome Ann!
I have a recipe for a very similar salad
and it calls for sugar and vinegar. So something sweet and something sour.
Oh dear ! I feel almost like being at home here ! You do so great things an this is another creation to do ! Thank you so much !
Thank you for writing in! I’m so glad you feel at home here 🙂 I hope you love the salad!
Natasha, I love your site! So many wonderful recipes. I used the food chopper you recommended- I went through 3 of them because they kept breaking, and they could very barely do onions. Then I bought another chopper and it’s like night and day, none of the problem I had with the first one, and chopping is an easy pleasure now! Maybe you’ll try it out and like it: (link here)
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my blog and recipes 🙂 Thank you for sharing that with me! I’ll definitely check it out!! 🙂
I’ve made this salad several times in the past and it’s delicious. You just reminded me to make some more again.
That’s so great!! I’m so glad you love it 🙂
This looks amazing!!
It really is so easy and delicious! Let me know what you think Sara!
Do you think making this with vegan mayonnaise in lieu of regular mayonnaise will work ok with this recipe?
Hi Karin, I haven’t tried that but I think that would work fine. I hope you love it!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I’ve never tried broccoli with cauliflower and dried cranberries. It sounds like a good combination. Also, I hope that the new recipe will be some kind of dessert. Thanks! 😉
My pleasure Olga! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!
Looks very delicious. I love salads with cauliflower. I’ll have to give this one a try.
It is fantastic Julie! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!